(John McCann, Headline USA) As gas prices have continued to soar across the country, many emergency services are cutting back on routine and essential functions to save costs.
Services such as patrols, building inspections and staff training have seen cuts, especially in smaller communities with smaller gas budgets. Some emergency services have even limited the amount of direct calls for help that they respond to, reported Summit News.
One Michigan county police department has “blown through their fuel budget” and has warned local residents that they will not be responding to every 911 call that they receive. They will instead attempt to resolve these emergency situations over the phone.
Fire departments and EMS services are also being affected by the rising fuel costs. Many crews around the country are choosing certain days where they strictly limit how much they drive. Only for absolute emergencies will they leave the station. The fuel costs are also forcing many departments to cut back on equipment.
The average price of gas in America, according to AAA, has increased to roughly $5.00/gallon. And with no signs of that average declining, many Americans are stretching their fuel budgets to the limit. AAA has reported that they have observed a 32% increase in out-of-gas calls, 50,787 in the month of April alone.
States are seeing record high prices for several consecutive weeks. Michigan, for example, has a current average of $5.21/gallon, a high that has lasted for seven consecutive days.
This time last year, the national average was a mere $3.06/gallon, and has since doubled under the watch of President Joe Biden. Some blame the President’s policies for the dramatic increases, while the White House insists that events such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine are to blame.
The gas crisis is showing no signs of improving. As the summer travel season begins in earnest, the price of fuel is sure to rise, and every American is going to feel the pinch.
